15 Techie Gifts for Your Favorite Gadget Head

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This year, give one of these cutting-edge gizmos to your loved ones who are also lifehackers. We’ve found everything from a smart doorbell that notifies your phone when guests arrive and an orb that monitors your sleep quality to a suitcase that weighs and tracks itself. But if those feel a little too smart, there are also more practical finds, like wireless headphones for audiophiles, several portable speakers, and a compact charger to keep it all running. And when all else fails, there’s always the gift of a .pizza domain name. Find them all, and more, ahead.

*This article appears in the November 23, 2015 issue of New York Magazine.

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A Virtual-Reality Starter Pack Like the Google Cardboard, this upgraded View-­Master creates a VR world once you add an iPhone. Photo: Courte...A Virtual-Reality Starter Pack Like the Google Cardboard, this upgraded View-­Master creates a VR world once you add an iPhone. Photo: Courtesy of the Vendor

Pocket Projector It accommodates most phones, making Vines look much more cinematic.
Photo: Courtesy of the Vendor

Actually Good Wireless Headphones Audiophiles who have long looked down their noses at wireless headphones are all in a tizzy over Master & D... Actually Good Wireless Headphones Audiophiles who have long looked down their noses at wireless headphones are all in a tizzy over Master & Dynamic’s MW60s. Plus, they have a retro-looking leather-and-steel body.
Photo: Aaron Cameron Muntz

An Emoji Keyboard 120 of the most popular emoji on a keyboard for any computer.

A Nice Stylus A handsome iPad stylus from FiftyThree that has a built-in eraser and 14-karat-gold-plated sensors for accuracy.
Photo: Courtesy o...A Nice Stylus A handsome iPad stylus from FiftyThree that has a built-in eraser and 14-karat-gold-plated sensors for accuracy.
Photo: Courtesy of the Vendor

An Acorn Speaker Natural wood, Bluetooth connectivity, up to four hours of battery life.
Photo: Courtesy of the Vendor

A Goofy Domain Name Whatever your best friend’s name, her personalized “dot-pizza” site is likely up for grabs.
Photo: Jed Egan/Jed Egan

Sleep Improver The Sense Orb monitors sleep quality and bedroom environment, so you can make changes based on the data.
Photo: Courtesy of the V...Sleep Improver The Sense Orb monitors sleep quality and bedroom environment, so you can make changes based on the data.
Photo: Courtesy of the Vendor

A Portable Charger Small and light enough to fit in a back pocket; strong enough to juice up a laptop and two mobile devices.
Photo: Mark Serr/m...A Portable Charger Small and light enough to fit in a back pocket; strong enough to juice up a laptop and two mobile devices.
Photo: Mark Serr/mark@markserr.com

Diamond Status Suitcase The Bluesmart carry-on comes with a built-in scale and a smartphone app that lets you lock, unlock, and track its whereab... Diamond Status Suitcase The Bluesmart carry-on comes with a built-in scale and a smartphone app that lets you lock, unlock, and track its whereabouts remotely.
Photo: Courtesy of the Vendor

A Three-Inch Drone This mini-quadcopter comes with a built-in HD-video camera to explore 150 feet above the ground without anyone noticing.
Phot...A Three-Inch Drone This mini-quadcopter comes with a built-in HD-video camera to explore 150 feet above the ground without anyone noticing.
Photo: Courtesy of the Vendor/ALBERTvandemaat2015

Celebrity Wheels The PhunkeeDuck, which goes up to 12 mph, is the ­preferred hands-free scooter (just don’t call it a hoverboard) of Justin B... Celebrity Wheels The PhunkeeDuck, which goes up to 12 mph, is the ­preferred hands-free scooter (just don’t call it a hoverboard) of Justin Bieber and Chris Brown. Photo: Courtesy of the Vendor